At a glance

Your chance to

At a glance

6 days cycling; vehicle support on request

95% tarmac roads and 5% gravel tracks

Quiet roads and cycle paths

7 nights hotels

All breakfasts included

Spectacular riding from the stunning Dolomites to Venice

Few landscapes in Europe match the unique beauty of the jagged limestone Dolomites. The route starts with incredible views of Trentino's dramatic mountains, cycling on relatively easy roads and tracks along the Adige River. On reaching the northern shore of Lake Garda, we will be immediately mesmerised by the breath-taking views of one of the most famous Italian lakes. A four hour ferry cruise on the lake gives us the opportunity to take in these wonderful vistas before continuing the ride through the beautiful cities of Verona, Padova and finally the canals and waterways of Venice.

Cycling profile

Daily distance in km/miles:

Day 2

70.0km/43.5miles

Day 3

50.0km/31.1miles

Day 4

60.0km/37.3miles

Day 5

70.0km/43.5miles

Day 6

50.0km/31.1miles

Day 7

40.0km/24.9miles

Number of days cycling: 6

Pace: Moderate: 13-16km/8-10miles an hour

Terrain: Low altitude; 95% tarmac, 5% easy gravel roads

Itinerary

2Day 2Cycle on quiet roads following the Adige river to Trento, capital of the Trentino region.

After familiarising ourselves with the bikes, we cycle along the Adige river. Today's ride is mainly on cycling paths and quiet roads, with an overall ascent of approximately 300m. Cycling through orchards and vineyards, we pass Lake Caldaro, the lovely villages of Ora, Egna and Salorno.This area is well known for its wine production, which represents three quarters of the whole of the South Tyrol. We end today's ride in the pretty city of Trento, where Italian Renaissance and Germanic influences meet.
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3Day 3Continue riding along the river to the magnificent Lake Garda. A 4 hour ferry cruise takes us to the south shore of the lake.

We continue along the Adige until we reach Rovereto and Mori. From here, we head west towards the northern shores of Lake Garda. After a short ascent, we cycle down to Torbole and then onto the elegant resort of Riva del Garda. There we take the ferry to the southern end of the lake, leaving Trentino and heading towards the Veneto region. The 4hr cruise on the lake gives us the opportunity to enjoy the splendid landscape and relax before cycling to our final destination of the day: Desenzano.

4Day 4Leaving the shores of Lake Garda, we head to the beautiful city of Verona, made famous by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Cycling mainly on quiet roads and cycle paths today, we make our way to the legendary city of Verona. Located on the river Adige, Verona is arguably the most beautiful city in Veneto. Its famous arena is one of the many Roman monuments we can discover there. Also interesting to see are the Basilica San Zeno and of course Juliet's house and the famous balcony!

5Day 5Beyond Verona the route is mainly flat before we reach the more hilly region of Monti Berici. The undulating road takes us from beautiful villas to historic buildings all the way to Vicenza, where the best ice-creams in Italy await us.

After a flat start, we reach the more hilly region of Monti Berici. As we cycle on this undulating route, we can enjoy fantastic views of our destination for the day: Vicenza. The old city centre is a jewel of Renaissance architecture: private palaces, public buildings and the Basilica are testaments to the work of one of Italy's most renown architects: Andrea Palladio. A visit to the best ice-cream parlour in Vicenza is a great reward after today's ride!
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6Day 6Pass the wonderful Palladian Villa Rotonda, as we cycle to Padova where Giotto's Chapel and other marvels await.

Leaving Vicenza, we cycle pass the beautiful Palladian Villa Rotonda. We continue along the Bacchiglione river, on relatively quiet and flat roads, to the fascinating city of Padova, famous for the Scrovegni Chapel, painted by Giotto, and the Prato della Valle, one of the biggest squares in Europe.
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7Day 7Follow Veneto's flat roads towards the Adriatic Sea and the impressive lagoon of Venice, for a relaxing drink on Piazza San Marco or a wander across Ponte dei Sospiri

We continue through Veneto, cycling along the Brenta canal and and numerous villas belonging to the ancient Venetian nobility (Villa Pisani, Villa Widmann). Our day ends in Mestre, final destination of our week of cycling, near Venice. With easy access to the heart of the 'Floating City', we can enjoy a relaxed evening and perhaps a gondola ride!

Your images

Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and possess a spirit of adventure. Some previous experience is required for most activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and listed activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

Arrival & departure transfers

What's not included

Travel insurance

Bike hire (available locally from GBP60 paid on booking)

Single accommodation (available on request from GBP185)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Hotels/Inns

7 nights in 2 and 3-star hotels and inns of excellent standard throughout, all with en suite facilities. We use a variety of 2 and 3-star hotels and inns throughout with en suite facilities. They may be located either in the towns themselves or in the surrounding countryside.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for British passport holders.
Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times. Holiday style

Average daily distance: 50km (32 miles)
No. of days cycling: 6
We aim to use mainly quiet roads and cycle paths where possible, but at times we need to cross busy road sections in order to reach the quieter routes on the other side. Although there are no real steep climbs or technical difficulties, at times the route is undulating and requires a reasonable level of fitness. That said, a support vehicle is available on a request basis.
Vehicle support: Please note that the support vehicle does not follow the group but can be called by the group leader if you are struggling with the route and wish to stop cycling and return to the hotel. There may be a waiting time for the support vehicle to arrive, during which the group may go ahead and continue cycling. (The support vehicle is not available to 'sit out' a section of the ride during the day, it can only be used to return you directly to the hotel).
Terrain and route: 95% tarmac, 5% easy gravel roads. Route mainly follows quiet roads and designated cycle paths. Reasonable level of fitness required.
Cycling conditions: This trip is classified Road and graded B. Please see the introductory pages of the cycling brochure or our website for more important information on classification and grading. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.

Eating & drinking

In the itinerary we state which meals are included on each day. All breakfasts are included on this trip.

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including
detailed itinerary and full kit list

Weather & seasonality

In the Dolomites - as always in the mountains - the weather can be very changeable. On average in summer months you can expect some rain on one day in two, but it is likely to come in heavy and thundery outbursts of relatively short duration rather than prolonged showers. Down in the valleys daytime temperatures range on average from 12degC to 22degC, although 25degC is not unusual. As we ride out of the mountains the weather often gets warmer, therefore you need to be ready for anything, and to pack shorts as well as warmer clothes, full waterproofs as well as sun cream.

Gallery

Reviews & community

Beautiful scenery, excellent cycling, great group, good food and wine, and an enthusiastic leader. What more could you ask for!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Hard to pick just one with so many great aspects to this trip - particularly enjoyed Lake Garda, Verona &amp; Venice, which I expected, but Vicenza and Padova were lovely places too, and much less touristy! ;p
The cycling in general was enjoyable due to being on excellent, safe and well maintained off-road tracks for the most part. I think the food and wine were a particular highlight of this trip, especially the ice-cream. Hmmm...ice-cream....

What did you think of your group leader?

Michele was one of the best leaders I've ever come across - this was a fully booked trip and he lead the whole thing by himself with remarkable enthusiasm, energy, good humour and excellent organisational skills. Nothing was too much trouble for him in ensuring that everyone in the group was well looked after and enjoyed the trip, from organising extra cycling for those who wanted it, to making sure we always went to the best restaurants and even introducing us to his lovely family in his home town.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Weather was very variable so bring layers/waterproofs - most of the rain we had was in the evening and the days were generally sunny but not too hot, so mostly perfect for cycling but we did have one rainy/cold day. The cycling was generally flat and very moderate but there were a few hills and the bikes were heavy so a reasonable level of fitness is required. The bikes had good waterproof panniers to carry spare layers etc. during the day and we were given a small handlebar bag and water bottle ( although most people preferred their own), also no need to buy maps as a booklet and full route details are provided for this trip, a very nice touch I thought!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The beauty of the Dolomites, and after two previous visits to Venice where I have described Venice, in my opinion to be overrated, most definitely Venice.
I loved Vicenza nearly as much as Michele, definately the most beautiful town in the world

What did you think of your group leader?

Michele was an absolute star, probably the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and likeable guide I have had on any previous trip.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

As with all trips, read the trip notes to know what to expect.
This level of cycle trip is not too much for the occasional cyclist, it's not a race, it's a chance to enjoy with like minded people.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

A fantastic trip full of changing scenery, reasonable daily distances to cover cycling with a few challenges

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Seeing the Dolomite mountains so close on the ride

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent, very knowledgeable of the history of the area and passionate about his country and willing to share this with everybody at the same time trying to accommodate each persons needs and expectations of the ride

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

A reasonable amount of training ( though not excessive) on hills will make ride more enjoyable. Distances are okay for peoples who do regular cycling.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Would have been good to have been able to purchase a cycle jersey with the route of the ride marked on it . Always a nice souvenir especially for those of us who came a long way to do the ride i.e. Australia!

Questions about your trip

Pick your question

Is it possible to make my own way to the start point in the Dolomites?

Yes, it is possible but, as it can be a long journey, you will need to prepare in advance. Taxis will be very expensive but there are some public transport options available. Please contact the Customer Operations team on 0845 863 9643 for more details, and we can run through the best way to get there!

Rachel George - Customer Operations

Can you always guarantee a bike available to hire locally?

‘In-country’ bike hire should be arranged at the time of booking, and the cost will be added to your invoice. Please note that there are a limited number of bikes available locally. We always have to match a person's height to the bike frame size and, as there are a limited amount of each size, we cannot always guarantee availability of the correct frame. Therefore it is recommended you add the local bike hire as early as possible.

Andy Ross - Product Manager

Some days look quite long. Do we need to be experienced cyclists?

No. The leader carefully breaks up the distances covered with refreshment stops and lunch. The terrain will vary but clients are always free to hop on the support vehicle that shadows the whole group, if they feel like a break. Saying that, you do cover more ground than you think, especially with a tailwind behind you!

Will Shoubridge - Agency Sales

Exodus staff - expertise on hand to help

All the staff at Exodus share a passion for adventure travel, and are always happy to answer any questions you may have. You can find an expert for the area you are interested in here and can contact them to get further information. If you don't see your specific country listed, please email customerops@exodus.co.uk and they will get the answers you need!

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